The Lindsay Clancy case has taken another twist. On Friday, September 4, the judge declared a mistrial. The decision came after the jury, which had reportedly deliberated for 38 hours, was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
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According to TMZ, the jury sent a note to the judge stating that no clear-cut verdict had been reached. As such, the judge revealed that he was required by law to declare a mistrial. The Daily Mail has noted that the jury had been stuck at an 11-1 deadlock.
Kevin Reddington, Clancy's lawyer, is rightfully fighting for his client, as he bids to avoid a mistrial. Following the judge's decision, Reddington filed a last-minute appeal to the Massachusetts Supreme Court for an emergency stay.
"Reddington just told the judge he wanted to immediately go to the Massachusetts Supreme Court to reverse what he called 'this travesty.' He asked the judge not to dismiss the jury until the Supreme Court ruled," TMZ reports. "The judge gave Reddington 1 hour to go to the Supreme Court. This is high tension."
In his filing, Reddington insisted that a 'mistrial at this point is entirely avoidable, but only if the court does its job,' via The Daily Mail.
Why Would a Mistrial Be Bad for Lindsay Clancy?
Should the mistrial stand, Clancy would be stuck in limbo. She would neither be found guilty or not guilty and would be forced to remain at Tewksbury Hospital under the same first-degree murder charge. The prosecutors would then need to decide on their next course of action, with three options available to them.
The most logical path forward would then be to retry the case in court, using a whole new jury. Other options would include offering Clancy a plea deal or dropping the charges, although the latter is highly unlikely.
Because the mistrial would be caused by a hung jury, there is no double jeopardy. As such, the prosecution would be free to retry the case. However, the mistrial is not currently official, as Reddington continues to try to fight the ruling in the Supreme Court. Right now, it's unclear whether that long shot will pay off.
